Team MAPE supports MAPE friendly candidates and legislation. Our issue priorities include: achieving fair compensation for state employees, fixing our broken health care system, preventing outsourcing and privatization of state services and protecting our pension and retirement benefits.

MAPE's statement on report on pro-corporate "right to work" legislation

Submitted by mcody on January 26, 2012 - 4:37pm

The statement below is a response to the following report released today: Report brings “right to work” fight to Capitol

For Immediate Release Contact: Leslie Sandberg (651)746-9767

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Statement of Jim Monroe on the Center for the American Experiment Joining the National Conservative Push for ‘Right to Work’ Legislative Amendments

“On January 7^th, 2012, the New York Times wrote an editorial connecting the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), funded by corporate America to the tune of $7 million annually, and the national push for ‘right to work’ legislative amendments. The article, titled ‘Continuing Assault on Unions,’ also stated that Republicans are promoting ‘right to work’ nationally to weaken unions. It is retaliation for union support of the middle class and democratic public officials.

It is clear that the corporate attack on the middle class has now come to Minnesota.

The whole national movement for ‘right to work’ legislation is the handiwork of conservative organizations like ALEC and now the Center for the American Experiment. Both organizations share corporate supporters and help each other build astro-turf credibility on the benefits under a right to work state. There are many studies that refute the so-called benefits of living in a ‘right to work’ state.

Don’t be fooled, ‘right to work’ is not about choice, it is a cynical back door strategy to weaken unions financially so they can no longer provide effective workplace protections to hard working employees. In reality, supporting this amendment will eliminate employees’ rightsat work, whether they work in the public or the private sector.

Under a ‘right to work’ state, all workers, whether they are democrat, republican or independent will experience lower wages, higher health care costs and no workplace protections.

Now is not the time to attack the economic security of the middle class. Our hope is that as the legislative session progresses, the focus will remain on creating good paying jobs rather than attacking hard working middle class Minnesotans.”